Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
As soon as we got into the mid-size darkened ballroom overlooking Times Square, there were men and women mingling in every inch of the room. Still, the girls wasted no time in snatching my hand and dragging me over to the large bar setup.
My new friend leaned over the bar, giving the bartender a show. “We need a drink, Maurice.” She double-tapped his nametag with her long nails.
“Ladies, we have two special cocktails: the ball drop and the fireworks.”
“We’ll take the ball drop, but first we’ll do a group shot,” Kara answered for us. He shook his head and smiled, stopping to smile at me before he worked on the shots. Within a minute our four shots were laid out.
“Time for the shot, ladies,” she ordered. We all took the shot glass and, on the count of three, tossed it back. I shook my head and laughed as the liquor burned my throat. It had been a long time since I’d drank, and an even longer time since I tossed back shots of tequila.
The bartender chuckled as he made several drinks and slid them across the bar. He paused directly in front of me and winked. “Enjoy, beautiful,” Maurice said, smirking at me as he slid the glass toward me. I accepted it just as he grazed his fingers across mine. The flirting couldn’t be any more obvious, and although I wasn’t interested I enjoyed the little game.
“I will.” I smiled back, giving a little bit of a flirty tilt of my shoulder. I needed to loosen up a bit, and the bartender was the way to go. He wasn’t a threat because he was working, and I wouldn’t be staying much longer. I took the drink and then turned my back to the bar to look at the guests. They might have intentions of hooking up, but I was going home with my lady bits still intact and unbeaten.
Kara’s friends left her, and then she turned to me. “Come on. Let’s meet some of these men.” She gripped my arm a little harder than I appreciated. I tugged it back.
“I’m just going to hang out here for a minute.” I lost my nerve with all the men in the room. I turned my hip to the edge of the bar and sipped on my drink.
“That’s fine, but I need to meet with some of the men. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.”
“So, are you enjoying your night?” Maurice asked, leaning toward me.
“Yes, I am,” I lied. I was ready to call it a night. This wasn’t my scene. I tossed back my drink and set it on the bar top. The girls came back to my side in a fit of giggles. “Girl, there are several guys we’d like you to meet.”
“Really?” I’d probably met some of them through meetings with Mr. Keaton, but they wouldn’t recognize me dressed like this. In the office, I hardly wore any makeup, and I definitely didn’t dress so provocatively. My dress cut at my upper thigh and dipped low, showing more than I’d ever allowed before. At work, I did my best not to attract attention after Mr. Keaton’s brother made a pass at me. He was too much to handle and was always trying to hit on anything that moved.
I’d give myself until the ball dropped, and then I was out of this place. The countdown was minutes away, according to several displays set up around the large, glammed-out room.
“Beautiful, here’s your next drink.” I reached for it, and then Maurice pulled the same move as earlier, attempting to caress my skin, but I wasn’t playing that game anymore. His overt flirting had gotten stale, and my enjoyment of the party faded.
I almost dodged his touch and snagged the glass when a hand clamped onto my wrist, stopping me from taking the drink. In that moment, everything shifted. Every nerve in my arm was electrified, a sensation that began at the sensitive skin of my racing pulse, spread through my body, and slammed in my chest. I had a feeling that nothing would ever be the same again before I even turned around to meet the owner of the powerful grip.
Chapter Two
Diego
The lights were shimmering all around the city as the crowds gathered for the show that was about to kick off at midnight. I personally didn’t give a fuck that a new year was underway. At thirty-four, I’d seen more than enough of these to give no fucks about them, and I hated the supposed rebirth people claimed to have, as if they were suddenly changed because the calendar went from December to January. The weather didn’t change; it was still balls-frozen-to-your-thigh type cold with snow on the ground, and your breath came with its own icy cloud.
New Year’s Eve was just another day for drunk people to make dumb decisions, allowing my front company to work overtime. They towed all the improperly parked assholes. It wasn’t my only operation, but it was one the government knew about. I’d rake in some extra funds that would cover some of the tax liabilities that kept the IRS off my ass.